Lyly, John · published 1591 · first performed or written 1588 [Feb 2(?)] (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (first) · before the Court unassigned nearest T48 Addressing a lady: love, desire and inti · 488 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
No, but with his virtue. What say you Semele? madam, I dare say nothing for fear I offend. Belike you cannot speak except you be spiteful. But as good be silent as saucy. Panelion, what punishment were fit for Semele, in whose speech and thoughts, is only contempt and sourness? I love not Madam to give any judgement. Yet sith your highness commandeth, I think, to commit her tongue close prisoner to her mouth. Agreed; Semele, if thou speak this twelvemonth, thou shalt forfeit thy tongue. Behold Endymion, alas poor Gentleman, hast thou spent thy youth in sleep, that once vowed all to my service. Hollow eyes? grey hairs? wrinkled cheeks? and decayed limbs? Is it destiny, or deceit that hath brought this to pass? If the first, who could prevent thy wretched stars. If the latter, I would I might know thy cruel enemy. I favoured thee Endymion for thy honour, thy virtues, thy affections: but to bring thy thoughts within the compass of thy fortunes, I have seemed strange, that I might have thee stayed, and now are thy days ended before my favour begin. But whom have we here, is it not Corsites? It is, but more like a Leopard than a man. Awake him. how now Corsites, what make you here? How came you deformed? Look on thy hands, and than thou seest the picture of thy face. Miserable wretch, and accursed. How am I deluded? madam, I ask pardon for my offence, and you see my fortune deserveth pity. Speak on, thy offence cannot deserve greater punishment: but see thou rehearse the truth, else shalt thou not find me as thou wishest me. Madam, as it is no offence to be in love being a man mortal, so I hope can it be no shame to tell with whom, my Lady being heavenly. Your Majesty committed to my charge fair Tellus, whose beauty in the same moment took my heart captive, that I undertook to carry her body prisoner. Since that time have I found such combats in my thoughts between love and duty, reverence and affection, that I could neither endure the conflict, nor hope for the conquest. In love? A thing far unfitting the name of a Captain, and (as I thought) the tough and unsmoothed nature of Corsites. But forth. Feeling this continual war, I thought rather by parley to yield, then by certain danger to perish, I unfolded to Tellus the depth of my affections, and framed my tongue to utter a sweet tale of love, that was wont to sound nothing but threats of war. she too fair to be true, and too false for one so fair, after a nice denial, practised a notable deceit, commanding me to remove Endymion from this cabin, and carry him to some dark Cave, which I seeking to accomplish, found impossible. And so by Fairies or fiends have been thus handled.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
No, but with his vertue. VVhat say you Semele? Madame, I dare say nothing for feare I offende. Belike you cannot speake except you bee spightfull. But as good be silent as saucie. Panelion, what punishment were fitte for Semele, in whose speech and thoughts, is onely contempt and sowrenesse? I loue not Madam to giue any iudgement. Yet sith your highnesse commaundeth, I thinke, to commit her tongue close prisoner to her mouth. Agreed; Semele, if thou speake thys twelue-month, thou shalt forfet thy tongue. Behold Endimion, alas poore Gentleman, hast thou spent thy youth in sleepe, that once vowed all to my seruice. Hollow eyes? gray haires? wrinckled cheekes? and decayed limmes? Is it destinie, or deceite that hath brought this to passe? If the first, who could preuent thy wretched starres. If the latter, I would I might knowe thy cruell enemie. I fauoured thee Endimion for thy honor, thy vertues, thy affections: but to bring thy thoughts within the compasse of thy fortunes, I haue seemed strange, that I might haue thee staied, and nowe are thy dayes ended before my fauour beginne. But whom haue we heere, is it not Corsites? It is, but more like a Leopard then a man. Awake him. Howe nowe Corsites, what make you heere? How came you deformed? Looke on thy hands, and then thou seest the picture of thy face. Myserable wretch, and accursed. How am I deluded? Madame, I aske pardon for my offence, and you see my fortune deserueth pittie. Speake on, thy offence cannot deserue greater punishment: but see thou rehearse the trueth, else shalt thou not find me as thou wishest me. Madam, as it is no offence to be in loue beeing a man mortall, so I hope can it be no shame to tell with whom, my Ladie beeing heauenlie. Your Maiestie committed to my charge fayre Tellus, whose beautie in the same moment tooke my hart captiue, that I vndertooke to carry her bodie prisoner. Since that time haue I found such combats in my thoughts betweene loue and dutie, reuerence and affection, that I coulde neyther endure the conflict, nor hope for the conquest. In loue? A thing farre vnsitting the name of a Captaine, and (as I thought) the tough and vnsmoothed nature of Corsites. But forth. Feeling this continuall warre, I thought rather by parlee to yeeld, then by certaine danger to perrish, I vnfolded to Tellus the depth of my affections, and framed my tongue to vtter a sweet tale of loue, that was wont to found nothing but threats of warre. Shee too fayre to be true, and too false for one so fayre, after a nice deniall, practised a notable deceyt, commaunding me to remooue Endimion from this Caban, and carrie him to some darke Caue, which I seeking to accomplish, founde impossible. And so by Fayries or fiendes haue beene thus handled.